God’s Grace & Strength
Bible Text: 2 Corinthians 11:22-12:10 | Preacher: Paul Williams | Series: Visiting Preachers | Introduction
v9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness”
God sometimes permits thorns to come into our lives in order to minister to us
It may seem odd
The ministry of the thorn has enable countless Christians to grow closer to God
Paul’s thorn
In the flesh
To perhaps find help in the hindrances
What do we learn?
Three things
A Source of Pain
Not a minor inconvenience
A massive blow to his ministry
Thorn (v7) – not a rose thorn but a spike or a stake
Something that would have been used in torture
Used in the extreme
Speculation:
A kind of spiritual attack: some sin or particular temptation
A physical problem:
Gal 4:13 – he had “physical infirmity”
Gal 4:15 – maybe an eye complaint
Persecution by various opponents
Not sufficient information to be categorically certain
Paul identifies with infirmities, reproaches, in need, in persecutions and in distress
A messenger of satan – a demon: some form of demonic attack (v7)
People were directly attacking his gospel ministry and discrediting the gospel
Paul thought the best thing was to completely remove it
We might think the same thing
Paul prayed 3 times – he prayed continuously that God would remove the thorn in his flesh
God only spoke to him when he finished praying (v9)
Sometimes we are so busy telling God to remove the problem that we don’t hear Him speaking to us through the problem
A Word of Comfort
A two fold word of comfort:
Purpose – “lest I be exalted above measure” (x2) – v7
Quote from Gordon MacDonald – God uses ‘disruptive moments’
[Provision]
Purpose
He had an exalted experience of God 14 years ago – caught up into the Third Heaven
He speaks about himself in the 3rd person
He humbles himself in contrast to the ‘supra-apostles’
Explanation of the Third Heaven
Compare with Enoch and Elijah
He did not become proud and puffed up
This thorn came into his life to humble him, to buffet him
He learns how God can use broken people – earthen vessels
This is his experience
Provision
Provision – God makes provision in our sufficient: My grace is sufficient
Illustrative Story of CH Spurgeon
The infinite riches of God’s grace
Unlimited stores of grace
“God’s strength is made perfect in weakness”
The same word when Christ on the cross says “it is finished”
Something complete
Example of King Uzziah
A Means of Blessing
Paul’s weakness became his strength
Has this not been our experience?
On the mountain tops – our hearts often go cold, in the valleys – we are often brought to our knees before God
God will use the thorns to make us more effective in His service
Paul boasts in his infirmities because he is strong in Christ
In his weakness he sees God strength
He realises that this thorn is actually a blessing
Example of Jacob & Elijah
Illustration from Chuck Swindall